http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/04/14/mumps.outbreak/ Used to see Mumps all the time when i was a kid in the late 50's and 60's. Vaccination programs in the 70's pretty much wiped it out though. snowbound
I think that story got confused by that "Sienfeld" episode when George and the "Bubble Boy" were playing "Trivial Pursuit". It seems the "Moops", a Berber Tribe, were the ones who invaded Spain in 711 causing an "outbreak" of hostilities. Yea.....it was the Moops!! We're back on track, One track ed
Since it's a virus i would say the above is the only way. Most take 10 days from start to finish. There are probably over the counter drugs to ease symptoms though. snowbound
You can be vacinated but that is by no means a guarantee as has been learned in this outbreak. Also there is no treatment once you have it. You just have to let it do it's thing.
Of course every one here is against viruses. LOL This sounds a bit dour and serious, but; Despite vaccination not being a lifelong guarantee there is ABSOLUTELY no doubt that behind clean water supplies, vaccinations have been the greatest public health advance of all time. Around the world there is increasing publicity given to fringe lunatics who decline to or object to participating in public vaccination programmes. There is even a movement spearheaded in the USA to attack the HPV (cause of ~90% of cervical cancer) vaccination deployment. Millions of people adults and children still die every year from viral diseases, some of which are preventable. My personal recommendations: vaccinate your children, if you are thinking of getting pregnant, check your immune status against common viral illnesses well before. If you plan any travel to the more "interesting places" in the world get vaccinated against anything you can. For instance, in China the incidence of HepB a highly contagious (blood, water, close contact, food, saliva) and very serious illness is up to 20% of the population. There is a very effective safe and cheap vaccine available If you want to, particularly if you work in contact with children, or in health services with a lot of face to face contact with sick individuals, check your own immune status and get top-up vaccines. Where I live, in a well educated affluent city, about 20% of adults are not immune to measles and chicken pox. Early vaccines from 30 years ago were not as effective as newer formulations and immunity can fade with time. With the growth of giant urban population concentrations and the bulk of the world population not having access to good health services we are seeing a resurgence of what we may in the past have hoped to eradicate. (ok, slightly embarresed by small rant, signing off )
Actually, everybody in the world should read your rant and understand. A lot of these viruses could be completely wiped off the face of the earth, eliminating the deaths and suffering they cause if everyone would get vacinated. Personally, I would rather take the change of some kind of adverse reaction from a vacine, than dieing from a viral killer that could have been stopped in it's tracks.
